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Two Beers Brewing Releasing 2nd Beer in its Alta Series

I’m trying to find the right word. Coveted. Wildly popular. Sought after. Much-ballyhooed. Cult-inspiring. Pliny-like. How about, damn tasty. Yes, I like that. Two Beers Brewing (blog sponsor) just announced the pending release of its damn tasty triple IPA. Ascension Triple IPA will be released at The Woods tasting room in SoDo on May 18th. This will be the second beer in the brewery’s Alta Series of beers. The first sold out in a week. It’s been almost a year since the world was graced with the first limited release of this exceptionally balance triple IPA, which Two Beers initially brewed as a specialty, one-off beer for the Seattle International Beer Festival last summer. People went bananas for it.

There is something very fitting about this particular beer’s release date being the same date that Mount St. Helens blew her top back in 1980. The term ascension is most commonly used to refer to climbing a mountain. Seeing as how May 18th is a date that made Mount St. Helens famous, I suppose it’s fitting to release a mountain-themed beer on that date. Actually, we’ll chalk it up to serendipity. Here is the press release from Two Beers:

Coveted Ascension Triple IPA Makes Its Return as Second Beer in Two Beers Brewing’s New Alta Series

SEATTLE (May 9, 2013) – Two Beers Brewing has announced the second beer to join the ranks as part of the growing Seattle brewery’s new limited edition Alta Series. Ascension Triple IPA, a powerful yet balanced beer ringing in at 15.4 percent ABV and 100+ IBUs, will be released at the Two Beers Brewing tasting room, The Woods, on Saturday, May 18 at 11 am. Just as with the release of Two Beers Brewing’s Switchback Russian Imperial Stout – the first beer of the Alta Series, which sold out in just one week – only 1,000 bottles of this coveted beer will be available for purchase.

“When we first released Ascension as the flagship beer for the Seattle International Beerfest last year, people couldn’t believe a beer so high in alcohol could be so well balanced and approachable,” stated Joel VandenBrink, founder and head brewer at Two Beers Brewing Co. “It was only available that one weekend last summer and we’ve been receiving requests to bring it back ever since. The launch of our Alta Series provided us the perfect opportunity to do so, as well as give this unique beer the attention it deserves.”

Aged for eight months in stainless steel, Ascension Triple IPA is Two Beers Brewing’s most powerful beer yet. Offering a 15.4 percent ABV and 100+ IBUs, Ascension is a true Triple IPA utilizing triple the amount of hops as needed for the brewery’s Evolutionary (Evo) IPA, the recipe for which acts as the base for this delicious beer. While high in alcohol, Ascension is deceptively well balanced and smooth, featuring a moderately sweet palate with strong notes of caramel and citrus, including grapefruit, passion fruit and tangerine.

As a special bonus, May 18 will also mark the release of Two Beers Brewing’s first sour beer, Flanders Brown Sour Ale. Featuring a base of the brewery’s popular Hearth Winter Warmer re-fermented with Lacto, the Flanders Brown Sour Ale offers a nose of cinnamon and nutmeg, complemented by a unique palate of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oak and allspice. This limited release beer – featuring 30 IBUs and an 8.7 percent ABV – will be available only in 22-ounce bottles.

Craft beer enthusiasts can purchase 22-ounce bottles of Ascension Triple IPA for $14 each (limit six per customer) on Saturday, May 18 beginning at 11 am at The Woods tasting room, one week before they are released to Seattle-area retailers and bottle shops. Five-ounce tasters will be available for $7 each. Bottles of Flanders Brown Sour Ale will be available for $8 each. Attendees of the Ascension launch party will also enjoy a special lineup of Two Beers Brewing beers on tap, including barrel-aged Evo IPA, barrel-aged SoDo Brown and limited edition Prosperity IPA, as well as nine additional seasonal and year round offerings. Last but not least, popular food truck Evolution Revolution will be on site serving up delicious New American street food.

Featuring four bold, complex ales – each reaching above 9.0 percent ABV and boasting its own distinct personality – Two Beers Brewing Alta Series is designed to offer a unique twist with every sip. Whether its the complexity obtained by aging in brandy barrels, the tartness imparted by fresh fruits or unique twist provided by a complex blend of spices, the Alta Series sets out to distinguish itself from the others and reach the upper limits. In addition to a new look for the growing Seattle microbrewery, including screen-printed bottles and a hand-dipped wax seal, each bottle is signed and individually numbered by the very person who bottled it. The final two beers in the series are scheduled for release in August and November, with Switchback Russian Imperial Stout making its return February 2014.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..